Bags of the present invention are commonly referred to as T-shirt or handle bags, normally formed of a thin, highly flexible thermoplastic material. Such bags are frequently formed from flattened tube portions selectively severed from a length of tubing of appropriate material and subsequently heat sealed along the lower and upper edges thereof. An appropriate mouth cutout is normally made through the sealed upper edge of the tube which thereby defines both the upper mouth of the bag and a pair of laterally spaced handles. Such bags may be formed both with or without side gussets.
It has become common to provide such bags in packs for suspension on racks with the individual bags separately removeable therefrom. Bags have typically included apertured tear-off tabs with a rack support element received through the apertured tabs and with the entire tab being severed from the bag as the bag is removed from the rack after loading. Further, the racks include support structure received by apertures in the bag handles for supporting the bag both before and during loading. In order to open the bag for loading, the apertured tab must be severed from the front wall of the bag rack in order to open the mouth of the bag. This step in the loading process is time consuming. Further, once severed from the bags, the tabs of the bags require disposal.
A need has thus arisen for improved thermoplastic bags for providing easy and quick opening of a bag held on a rack for loading.